After Mum had been attacked, Rosalina and Hermione found themselves as listless as Dad seemed to become. Miss Felicity came over a few times to cheer things up but their worry never really lifted. It only got worse as the day Mum was to come home came closer and closer.

Do you think she'll be alright? I've not had the chance to read much about werewolves but I've heard it can really change how a person acts, hissed Hermione, pacing back and forth in their room.

It's Mum. Of course she'll be alright, hissed Rosalina, although she wasn't too sure of things herself. But if you want to know about werewolves, I bet Draco knows about them. He knew loads of stuff like that.

He never made a point of talking about it, but Draco Malfoy knew more about weird magic than just about anyone else in Slytherin except for a few of the sixth and seventh year students.

Hermione seemed to contemplate this for a moment, but in the end she shook her head.

I don't want to ask him. Not about this. I know that werewolves get really discriminated against in the wizarding world and I don't want … but she didn't finish.

Draco wouldn't be like that, I'm sure of it. He knows better, hissed Rosalina. She was pretty sure that he'd keep things quiet. At least, he'd keep them as quiet as Ron and Harry would. He didn't spill the beans about Norbert, did he?

Hermione bit her lip, then nodded. Let's both write him, then.

Rosalina's letter was fairly straightforward:

Dear Draco,

How are you? How's your summer vacation been so far?

Ours has been wild. Mum got attacked by a werewolf and her magic woke up. Do you know anything about newly turned werewolves?

Hope to hear from you soon!

Rosalina G

Hermione's letter was considerably longer, seeing as she needed a whole separate sheet to finish it.

It was only a few days later when they received what felt like a stack of letters, one from Draco to them, and another one from his mum. Well, it wasn't so much that they received it as Dad did, which was odd, but it seemed that somehow Dad had gotten to know Mrs Malfoy while they were away at school.

"How would you two like to spend the rest of the summer with the Malfoys? Just so that we can get your mum settled in her new state of being safely," Dad had said to them the day after they got their letter from Draco.

And so, a couple days before Mum got home again, Rosalina and Hermione had packed up the things they'd need for school and, a few days later, watched as the most curious little being arrived at their house.

"Are you … a house elf?" asked Hermione as the little creature looked around at them. It had large, bat-like ears and bulging green eyes about the size of tennis balls, and was wearing what looked like an old pillowcase, with rips for its head and arms to poke out of

"Yes, miss. I'm Dobby. Dobby the house-elf," said the creature, Dobby.

"And you're here from the Malfoys, correct?" said Dad, staring at Dobby as hard as Hermione was.

"Yes, sir. Dobby is to take Miss Hermione, Miss Rosalina, and their things to Master Draco," said Dobby, standing a little stiffer when he saw Rosalina.

"Well, let's go then. See you at Christmas, Dad, I suppose," said Rosalina, taking a step closer to Hermione.

"Or at the platform, if your mother's up to it," said Dad, and Rosalina and Hermione grinned.

Then, just like that, their home vanished and was replaced by a huge mansion.

"Woah! What?" said Rosalina, unsettled by their sudden movement. The Floo network hadn't been this fast.

"Welcome to Malfoy Manor!" said Draco, a huge smile on his face as he came down the front steps of his home.

"We were just … I mean … what? I thought we were going to travel by Floo!" said Rosalina, still looking around.

The grounds were extensive, to say the least. There wasn't another house in sight and the greenery was of fantastical beasts far beyond anything that they'd read about at school.

Hermione's eyes stayed fixed on Dobby.

"Thank you, Dobby, that will be all," said Draco, and Dobby nodded, then vanished with a pop.

"So! Are you ready to see everything?" asked Draco, his eyes wide and his smile wider.

"If you really mean everything," said Hermione, looking at Draco with a mischievous smile.

Draco nodded, the smile never leaving his face, and they were off. There were a few bits he made sure to point out, but mostly it felt like they were in a sort of magical museum. "That's very old, don't touch it" and "I've tried to read it but it only screams when I open it" sorts of advice abounded.

Hermione tried to ask Draco all sorts of questions about House Elves but instead of answers she just got more questions.

"So, only rich wizarding families have them? Did they buy them or something?" asked Hermione when Draco had led them out to the practice field out behind the house.

"Only old wizarding families that have been in the same home for a long time. At, least, that's how I understand it," said Draco, frowning. "I've never really thought about it before."

"You've never thought about where your family's slave came from?" asked Hermione, puffing up.

"Minnie!" shouted Rosalina, staring at her. Draco wilted.

"He's not … well … I mean … he's not a … slave …" muttered Draco, unable to look her in the eyes.

"Well what is he then? Is he paid?" asked Hermione, leaning towards him, hands on her hips.

"Or fairly compensated in … however you do it, you know, since the wizarding world isn't always the same as the muggle one, Minnie," added Rosalina, smiling at Hermione and Draco each in turn.

This did not do much for Draco's wilt. "We, um, give him food and lodging, you know. I mean, he stays here and eats, I'm sure of that."

Rosalina and Hermione both raised eyebrows at him at that.

"It's … it's complicated! Wizards and witches don't have slaves. We don't. House elves aren't slaves. They're house elves," said Draco, stealing up at last.

"We're not attacking you, Draco, we just want to understand, that's all," said Rosalina, glancing at Hermione.

"And make things fair. Fair is important," Hermione added, a bit of the huff leaving her voice.

"Like Harry's broom was fair?" said Draco and his face scrunched up.

"Harry's broom," began Hermione.

"Was not at all fair! I like Harry, but they shouldn't have gotten him a new broom unless they were willing to get everyone a new broom. Besides, how can you show how much better you are than everyone else if your broom does all the work for you?" said Rosalina, smiling and nodding at Hermione. She was sure that's what Hermione meant.

"We're talking about House Elves, not Harry's broom," said Hermione, glaring at Rosalina.

"Yeah, and … look, Hermione, I don't have a good answer right now. I've just never thought about it before, but I know that its complex. At least, I think it is. Let me ask mum and dad about it?" said Draco, giving Hermione a little half-smile.

Hermione took a deep breath, then sighed and nodded. "That's fair. But it certainly doesn't seem like a very good deal to the house elves."

Draco didn't nod this time, but Rosalina knew that he was thinking it over.